Why the West Must Join the Ukraine Protesters

What the Ukraine protests are really about: Western freedom vs. Putin's vision of a restored Russian empire.

By

Mikheil Saakashvili

Jan. 27, 2014 7:21 p.m. ET

The television-news coverage of Ukrainians protesting in the streets of Kiev might prompt viewers to think they're flicking past just another outbreak of unrest in an overall restless world. The usual paraphernalia is there—the street rallies, Molotov cocktails and police crackdowns. But these demonstrations are unlike those in other countries, where people are seeking social rights or protesting against a corrupt ruler. What we have been witnessing in Ukraine, with protests that began in November and have gained a volatile...